Liner-wound adhesive tape dispenser



Dec. 26, 1961 K B. KNUTSON LINER-WOUND ADHESIVE TAPE DISPENSER Filed Feb. 24, 1959 Inventor' Kermit 2B. Knuis o n. .Bvd *r @Z2-jm ai-lor'neys United States Patent:

3,014,625 LHsiER-WUUND ADHESIVE TAPE DIS?ENSER Kermit E. Knutson, 1316 E. 24th St., Minneapolis, Minn. lliiled Feb. 24, 1959, Ser. No. `795,115 9 Claims. (Cl. 22S- db) My invention relates to improvements in dispensers for dispensing double-coated liner-wound pressure-sensitive adhesive tape.

This type of tape is adhesivelycoated on both sides and is marketed in various widths, a length of the tape being usually wound in a roll on an annular core together with a liner strip interposed between the convolutions of the tape. The widths of the tape range generally from one-quarter of an inch to four inches.

An object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple, durable and inexpensive dispenser for such tape which is compact and light in weight and which will con- Iveniently receive a supply roll of tape of any Width and support it for rotation to enable the tape to be withdrawn from the roll in desired lengths.

A further object of the inventionis to provide in such a dispenser a take-up drum movable vtoward and from the tape supply roll and revoluble to wind thereon into a roll the liner as'the tape and liner are drawn from the tape supply roll, the rotation of the liner roll being imparte-d thereto by frictional engagement of its outermost convolution on the take-up drum with its outermost convolution on the tape supply roll.

Additionally, it is an object of the invention to provide a dispenser, as aforesaid, with yielding means adjustable to vary the pressure between the frictionally engaged liner roll and tape supply roll according tothe width and particular nature of the tape to be dispensed; to provide such dispenser with alignment plates facing Opposite ends of the tape supply rollv and take-up drum, such plates compensating for the relative movement of the take-up drum and the tape supply roll toward Vand from each other and forming edge guides for the liner in the liner roll and in the path of the liner yfrom the tape supply roll to said liner roll; to provide a dispenser, as above indicated, which is adapted to be readily attached to a supporting medium or carried in the hand of a user and, in either case, to be conveniently operated in dispensing tape in desired lengths from a supply roll therein.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawings.:

FIGS. l and 2 are opposed end elevational views of a tape dispenser constructed in accordance with my invention, portions of the structure in FIG. 1 being broken away to reveal construction which otherwise would be obscured.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of-said dispenser and, like FIG. l, has portions of its structure broken away. a'

FIG. 4 is an elevational View in detail illustrating the tension spring employed to vary the pressure of the liner roll against the tape supply roll.

FIG. 5 is a View showing in elevation a portion of an Varmor? the dispenser, and showing also in axial cross section an adjustable collar for said arm which is employed in providing a connection between said spring Vand arm.

The illustrated dispenser includes a'body member 10 tee tially coplanar with said I'irst arm 11, said second arm 13 carrying a journal or shaft 1d in rightangular relation withrespect thereto. The two arms 11, 13 extend from the body member '19 in diverging. relationship, the spindle 12 and the arm 14 being laterally spaced apart from each other. A tape cutter bar 15, carried by the body member 1t), parallels said spindle 12 and shaft 1g in laterally spaced relation with respect to each thereo The body member 1t) is a flat metal strip. Optionally, it may have its end portions turned back, as at 16 and 17 so that the end portion d'6 will form a jaw of a C-clamp and the end portion 17 will provide a mounting for the clamp screw 18 of such clamp. Optionally, also, the body member 10 may be fastened to any suitable supporting medium in any suitable manner to mount the dispenser for use, or said body member 10 may be grasped in a users hand portably to employ the dispenser as tape is taken therefrom in desired lengths by the other hand.

The spindle andicutter bar 12, 15 and the arm 11 are, respectively, the legs and tie reach of a length of round rod bent into U-shaped formation, the arm 11 being attened, as at 11a. A clamp bolt 19 extends through the body member 1d and the attened portion `11a of said arm 11 and through a lock washerZtB interposed between said body member 10 and said llattened portion 11a of said arm 11, a nut 21 applied to said clamp bolt 19 lbeing turned tightly against said portion 11ad of said arm 11 to hold it rigidly in place relative to the body member 1t).

The arm 13 and shaft 14 are the right angularly related reaches of a length olf round rod -bent into L-shaped formation, the -arm 13 having a flattened end portion 13a. A pivot bolt 22 extends through `a body member 1@ and said flattened portion 13|a of said arm 13, a nut 23 on said pivot bolt 22 being screwed against said flattened portion 113a of the arm 13, but not so tightly thereagainst as to interfere with the swinging of said arm 13 to move the shaft 14 toward and from the spindle 12.

A drum A is provided for revolubly mounting on 'the spindle 12 a supply roll B of double-coated tape 24 interwound with a liner strip 25. The shaft 14 is provided with a drum `C which takes up into a roll D the liner Z5 from the outer convolution of tape 24 in the tape supply roll B as the tape 2d is withdrawn from said supply roll B. The withdrawn tape 24 is severed by drawing it over yand pulling against the outer edge of a cutting blade 26 which is supported on the cutter bar 15 by means of a blade-holding sleeve 27 iitted on andsecured to said cutter bar 15. Normally, after the severance of the terminal section 2li-a of the tape 24, the then leading p0rtion 24h of said tape 24 Iwill adhere to the blade 25 and/ or sleeve 27 pending the further withdrawal of tape 24 from the supply roll B.

Adjustable tension means E interposed between the arms 11, 13 brings the liner take-up roll D to bear more or less forcibly against the Itape supply roll B causing the take-up roll D to be turned by frictional engagement of the outer convolution of its liner 25 with the outer convolution of the liner in the tape supply roll B. In this connection, it will be understood that the narrower the tape being dispensed, the lesser should be the pressure between take-up roll D and tape supply roll B, otherwise there would be an undesirable flattening of both rolls at the area of contact between them. And, too, the nature of tape from .the standpoint'of hardness is a factor in determining the optimum pressure ofthe take-up roll D against the tape supply roll B.

Inner andouter alignment plates 23, 29, supported by the spindle 12 at opposite ends of the tape supply roll B eXtendto the opposite ends of the take-up drum C. These alignment plates 2S, 29 provide opposed edge guides for the liner 25 as it is drawn from the supply roll B and winds onto the liner roll D on the take-up drum C. The spindle 12 and the shaft 14 each have a pair of abutments thereon in the form of collars preferably formed of rubber or other suitable resilient material, the same being removably applicable to said spindle and shaft and longitudinally adjustable thereon. The abutment collars for the spindle 12 are designated Sti, 31 and the collars for the shaft 14 are designated 32, 33. The inner abutment collars 3G, 32 for spindle and shaft are placed in positions thereon, for example, as shown in FlG. 3, from which positions they will not be normally moved. Each of the alignment plates 2S, 29 has a circular opening 34 therein near one end thereof, said opening being of the same diameter as the inside diameter of the core 35 of the tape supply roll B. Each of said plates 2S, 29, also has a slot 36 therein of the same width as the diameter of the shaft 14, such slot 35 in each instance extending toward the axis of the opening 34 in its respective alignment plate. Said slots 36 in the alignment plates 23, 29 slidably receive the shaft 14 on the said pivoted arm 13 enabling the liner take-up drum C on said shaft to move toward and from the tape supply roll B on the spindle 12.

The drum A for the tape supply roll B not only provides for revolubly mounting said supply roll on the spindle 12 but also provides for supporting the alignment plates 28, 29 and holding them against the opposite ends of the tape supply roll B and liner take-up drum C. Said supply roll drum A consists of a pair of drum heads a, each having a center web 37 with an axial opening 33 therein of the same diameter as that of the spindle 12 and adapted to receive said spindle. Each drum head a also has a peripheral flange 39 and an annular shoulder 40 between said web 37 and flange 39, the annular shoulder 4t) being adapted to lit snugly into one end of the core 35 of a tape supply roll B and loosely in the circular opening 34 of one of the alignment plates, 2S, 29, the peripheral flange 39 of the head a being adapted to abut the annular marginal portion 41 of the alignment plate about said opening 34.

The take-up drum C consists of a single drum section, or a number thereof of various lengths, each with an axial bore 42 therein which receives the shaft 14. Selected drum sections, as at 43, 44 (FIG. 3), are placed end to end on the shaft 14, their combined length equaling the length of the tape supply roll B on the supply roll drum A. For example, in said FIG. 3 which is one-half actual size, the liner drum sections 43, 44 are one-quarter inch Yand one-half inch in length, respectively, making a combined length of three-quarters of an inch, which measurement is the length of the tape supply roll B.

The tension means E for yieldingly swinging the pivoted arm V13 toward the fixed arm 11 to bring the liner roll D into engagement with the tape supply roll B includes a helical spring 45 formed with a loop 46 at one end and formed at its other end with a hook-shaped portion 47 terminating in a back-turned extension 4S providing a finger piece. A collar 49 on the fixed arm 11 has an annulargroove 50 therein which receives the loop 46 of the tension spring 45. A similar collar 51 on the pivoted arm 13 detachably receives the hooked-shaped portion 47 of said spring 45. FIG. 5 shows a portion of the arm 13 and the collar51 with its annular groove 50 therein. The collar 51, like the collar 49, is of rubber ,or other suitable resilient material, its bore 52 being of la lesser Adiameter than the diameter of the arm 13. Upon applying the collars 49, 51, to their respective arms 11,

13, they are forced onand stretched abouttheir respective arms. Thus tensioned, saidcollars 49, `51 yieldably remain onttheir respective Varms in whatever positions they may be placed in sliding them along said arms. It, therefore, will be seen that the collar 49 and the loop 46 on the tension spring 45 provide a connection between said spring 45 and the arm 11, which connection is adjustably slidable along such arm. Similarly, it will be seen that the collar 51 and the hook-shaped portion 47 of the springv45 provide a connection between said spring and the arm 13, which connection is slidably adjustable along said arm 13 and detachable. Slidable adjustment of the collars 49, 51 along the diverging arms 11, 13 varies the tension of the spring 45 and, consequently, the pressure of the liner roll D against the tape supply roll B. Detachment of the hook-shaped portion 47 of the tension spring 45 from the collar 51 on the arm 13 frees that arm for swinging movement away from the fixed arm 11, this freeing of said arm 13 being advantageous when applying a tape supply roll B and liner take-np drum C to the dispenser.

Having assembled a tape supply roll B with the supply roll drum A and with the alignment plates 28, 29 and take-up drum C, the drum heads a of said drum A are threaded onto the spindle 12, and the take-up drum C, positioned between the alignment plates 28, 29 axially aligned with the slots 36 therein, is threaded onto the shaft 14 which passes through said slots 36. Said assembly is pushed along the spindle 12 and shaft 14 until the web 37 of the inner drum head a engages the abutment collar 30 on the spindle 12, and the inner alignment plate 23 engages the abutment collar 32 on the shaft 14. Thereupon, the abutment collar 31 is applied to the spindle 12 and moved therealong into position engaging the web 37 of the outer drum head a. Correspondingly, the abutment collar 33 is applied to the shaft 14 and moved therealong into position engaging the outer alignment plate 29. A section of tape 24, drawn from the tape supply roll B and stripped of its protective liner 25, is engaged at its leading end portion with the blade-holding cutter bar 15 (FlG. l). The end portion of the liner 25, stripped from said section of the tape 24, is fastened to the liner take-up drum C in any suitable manner, as, for example, by means of a piece of tape taken from the tape supply roll B from which tape is to be dispensed. The take-up drum C is then turned by the users fingers in opposition to the direction of rotation of the tape supply roll B until thc liner 25, between the outer convolution thereof on the take-up drum C and the outer convolution of said liner on the tape supply roll B, becomes taut. Thereafter, the hooklike portion 47 of the tension spring 45 is caught in the groove 50 of the collar 51 on the pivoted arm 13, the positioning of the collars 42, 51` longitudinally of the diverging arms 11, 13 being attended to, if necessary, to bring the take-up roll D under pressure in amount suitable to the tape of the particular supply roll placed in the dispenser.

After the dispenser is loaded with a tape supply roll B, and the terminal section of the tape 24 is drawn from the supply roll and its leading portion 24b affixed to the cutter bar 15, and the liner 25, removed from said section of the tape, is attached to and Wound on the takeup drum C, and the hook-like portion 47 of the spring 45 is hooked over its collar 51 on the arm 13, the dispenser is ready for use, the outer convolution of the liner 25 on the liner roll D being frictionally engaged with the outer convolution of the liner in the supply roll. As the tape 24 is drawn from the supply roll B to be severed at the cutter bar 15, rotation of the supply roll B is imparted to the take-up roll D, which strips the liner 25 from the unwinding tape 24 and winds on said take-up roll the said liner 25 as it is stripped from the tape leaving the supply roll.

In practice, this dispenser has proven to be highly advantageous from the standpoints of manufacture, packaging, installation, loading and thevdispensing of tape, and it well Ameets all of its said various objectives.

Changes in the specific form of the invention, as hereclaimed without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispenser for dispensing tape from a roll of double-coated liner-wound pressure-sensitive adhesive tape Wound on an annular core comprising; a spindle, a taperoll drum for a supply roll of tape revolubly mounted on said spindle, said drum consisting of a pair of heads, each head having a center web formed with a `central aperture therein for the reception of the spindle and having an outwardly extending peripheral flange, Said heads being adapted to be strung on the spindle along with a roll of tape interposed therebetween, each head having an annular shoulder thereon between its center web and peripheral ilange adapted to fit into its respective end portion of the core of the tape supply roll, abutments on said spindle, one for each drum head, each abutment abutting the outer `face of the center web of its respective drum head, the outer abutment on the spindle being adjustable therealong to conform the length of the drum with that of the tape supply roll, a shaft laterally spaced from said spindle, said shaft and spindle being relatively movable toward and from each other, a liner take-up drum revolubly mounted on said shaft, said take-up drum being adapted to accumulate thereon into a liner roll the liner being drawn with tape from the tape supply roll, means acting yieldingly to cause relative movement between shaft and spindle bringing the outer convolution of the liner roll into engagement with the outer convolution of the liner in the tape supply roll, thereby frictionally to turn said take-up drum and wind thereon the liner being drawn with tape from the tape supply roll, a pair of elongated alignment plates disposed with corresponding end portions thereof at'the opposite ends of the tape supply roll, each alignment plate having -an annular opening therein revolubly receiving the annular shoulder of its respective drum head itting into the core of the tape supply roll, the marginal portion of the alignment plate about said opening being received between the peripheral iiange of the drum head and the corresponding end of the tape supply roll, each alignment plate having a slot therein removed from the annular opening therein, said slots in the alignment plates extending toward said annular openings therein and receiving said shaft at opposite ends of the take-up drum on said shaft, said alignment plates forming edge guides for the tape liner as it passes from the tape supply roll to and Winds upon the liner roll.

2. A dispenser for dispensing tape from a roll of double-coated liner-wound pressure-sensitive adhesive tape wound on an annular core comprising; a journal, a taperoll drum for a supply roll of tape mounted on said journal, said drum consisting of =a pair of heads each thereof having a center web formed with a central aperture therein for the reception of said journal and having an outwardly extending peripheral liange, said heads being adapted to be mounted on said journal along with a supply roll of tape interposed therebetween, each head having an annular shoulder thereon between its center web and peripheral ange adapted to tit into its respective end portion of the core of the tape supply roll, abutments on said journal, one for each drum head, each abutment abutting the outer Iface of the center web of its respective drum head, at least one of said abutments being adjustable along said journal to conform the length of the drum to that of the tape supply roll, a second journal laterally spaced from said irst journal, said journals being relatively movable toward and from each other, a liner take-up drum revolubly mounted on said second journal, said take-up drum being adapted to accumulate thereon into a liner roll the liner being drawn with tape from the tape supply roll, means acting yieldingly to cause relative movement between said journals bringing the outer convolution of the liner roll into engagement with the outer convolution of the liner in the tape supply roll, thereby frictionally to turn said take-up drum and wind thereon the liner being drawn with tape from the tape supply roll, a pair of alignment plates disposed at opposite ends of the tape supply roll, each alignment plate ha'ving an opening therein receiving the annular shoulder of its respective drum head fitting into the core of the tape supply roll, each alignment plate having a second opening therein receiving said second journal at one end of the take-up drum, one of said openings in one alignment plate and the corresponding opening of the other alignment plate being elongated to enable said journals to move toward and from each other, said alignment plates forming edge guides for the tape liner as it passes from the tape supply roll to and winds upon the liner roll. i

3. ln a dispenser for dispensing tape from a roll of double-coated liner-wound pressure-sensitive adhesive tape comprising; a journal adapted revolubly to support thereon a supply roll of tape, a second journal laterally spaced from said first journal, said journals being laterally Inovable toward and from each other, a liner take-up drum of a length equal to the length of the tape supply roll, said take-up drum being revolubly mounted on said second journal and adapted to accumulate thereon into a liner roll the liner being drawn with the tape from the tape supply roll, means acting yieldingly to cause relative movement between said journals bringing the outer convolution of the liner roll into engagement with the outer convolution of the liner in the tape supply roll, thereby frictionally to turn said take-up drum and wind thereon the liner being drawn with tape from the tape supply roll, a pair of alignment members facing against opposite ends lof the tape supply roll and against opposite ends of the take-up drum, said members having a pair of openings therein receiving said first journal and a second pair of openings receiving said second journal, one of said journals carrying the alignment members, the openings in said members receiving the other of said journals being elongated to enable said journals to move toward and from each other, abutment means on said journals abutting the outer faces of said members holding them in place with the inner faces thereof against the ends of the tape supply roll and take-up drum, said plates forming edge guides for the tape liner as it passes from the tape supply roll to and winds upon the liner roll.

4. A dispenser as defined in claim 3, wherein the liner take-up drum consists of a number of sections of various lengths placed end to end on said second journal, selected combinations of said drum sections providing various composite drum structures of various overall lengths corresponding with lvarious lengths of tape supply rolls from which tape is to be dispensed.

5. A dispenser for dispensing tape from a roll of double-coated liner-wound pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, said dispenser having mounting means including a body member, a pair of arms extending from the body member in diverging relationship, one of said arms being xed relative to the body member, the other arm being pivoted to said member, the fixed arm carrying a spindle at its outer end, the pivoted arm carrying a shaft at its outer end, said spindle and shaft being laterally spaced apart from each other, said spindle being adapted revolubly to support thereon a supply roll of the liner-wound tape, a liner take-up drum revolubly mounted on said shaft, said take-up drum being adapted to accumulate thereon into a roll the liner being drawn with tape from the tape supply roll, said take-up drum being adapted, -upon` the swinging of the pivoted arm toward the tiXed arm to -bring the outer convolution of the liner roll on the take-up drum into engagement with the outer convolution of the liner in the tape supply roll, thereby frictionally to turn said take-up drum and wind thereon the liner as it is drawn with tape from the tape supply roll, tension means stretched from one of said arms to the other, said tension means acting yieldingly to swing the pivoted arm toward the fixed arm and cause the liner roll carried thereby to press against the tape supply roll carried by said rfixed arm, said tension means consisting of a helical spring stretched between and connected at its ends to the diverging arms, there being a connection between one end, at least, of said spring and its respective arm which is slidably adjustable along such arm to vary the tension of said spring and, consequently, the pressure of the liner roll against the tape supply roll, said adjustable connection between tension spring and arm including a collar slidably adjustable along the arm, said collar having a peripheral groove therein, the terminal portion of the spring forming a loop, said loop being caught in the groove in the collar and thereby engaged therewith.

6. A dispenser, as dened in claim 5, wherein said terminal portion of the tension spring is hook-like in form enabling it to be yieldably caught in and dislodged from the groove in said collar.

7. A dispenser, as dened in claim 6, wherein the adjustable collar is of resilient material tensioned about and yieldably engaging the arm for adjustment thereof slidably along the arm.

8. In a dispenser for dispensing tape from a roll of double-coated liner-wound pressure-sensitive adhesive tape wound on an annular core, a spindle, a tape-roll drum for a supply roll of tape mounted on said spindle, abutments on the spindle, one for each end of the drum, a shaft laterally spaced from said spindle, said shaft and spindle being relatively movable toward and from each other, a liner take-up drum revolubly mounted on said shaft, said take-up drum being adapted to accumulate thereon into a liner roll the liner being drawn with tape from the tape supply roll, means acting yieldingly to cause relative movement between shaft and spindle bringing the outer convolution of the liner roll into engagement with the outer convolution of the liner in the tape supply roll, thereby frictionally to turn said take-up drum and wind thereon the liner being drawn with tape from the tape supply roll, a pair of alignment members disposed at the opposite ends of the tape supply roll, each alignment member being carried by the drum at its respective end of said drum, each alignment member having a slot therein receiving said shaft at one end ofthe take-up drum, said alignment members forming edge guides for the opposite edges of the tape liner as it passes from the tape supply roll to and winds upon the liner roll.

9. A dispenser for dispensing tape from a roll of double-coated liner-wound pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, said dispenser having a body member, a pair of arms and a cutter lbar mounted thereon, one of said arms being movable toward and away from the other arm, a journal carried by one arm, a second journal carried by the other arm, said journals and cutter bar being coextensive, the latter being laterally spaced from a plane common to the axes of said journals, one journal being adapted revolubly to support thereon a supply roll of the liner-wound tape, a liner take-up drum revolubly mounted on the other journal, said drum being adapted to accumulate thereon into a roll the liner being drawn with tape from the tape supply roll, said take-up drum being adapted, upon the swinging of one arm toward the other to bring the outer convolution of the liner roll on said take-up drum into engagement with the outer convolution of the liner in the tape supply roll, thereby frictionally to turn said take-up drum and wind thereon the liner as it is drawn with the tape from the tape supply roll, said journals and cutter bar having free corresponding ends, said journals and cutter bar forming legs adapted to rest at their free ends on a supporting surface providing a three-point support for the dispenser supporting the same with the tape supply roll clear of such surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,566,733 Krueger Sept. 4, 1951 2,792,184 Kresser May 14, 1957 2,892,596 Fishel et al. June 30, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 887,301 France Nov. 10, 1943 

